Dewazakura Sake Brewery, the brewery behind Dewazakura, is located in Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture, which is famous for its shogi game. The fourth generation, Masumi Nakano, currently serves as the chairman of the Yamagata Prefecture Sake Brewers Association and the overseas strategy committee chair of the Japan Sake Brewers Association, and is actively involved in both the local region and global expansion.

Although Dewazakura is a relatively new brewery, in its fourth generation, it is the largest brewery in Yamagata Prefecture. It also contributes to local cultural activities by establishing the Dewazakura Museum of Art, a public interest incorporated foundation that exhibits ceramics from the Ri Dynasty. In addition, we have installed solar panels since 2014 with the aim of making sake in an environmentally friendly manner. Using the solar power generation system, we succeeded in reducing oil consumption by approximately 40,000 L (equivalent to approximately 18 2,200 L tanks) per year. I was amazed at their foresight in being one of the first to adopt environmentally friendly and highly sustainable manufacturing methods.

It is the only brewery in Japan to have won the champion salmon twice in the past in the Sake category of the world's largest wine competition, IWC (International Wine Challenge), which was newly established in 2007. The first honor was in 2008. The prize-winning sake at this time, ``Junmai Daiginjo Dewazakura Ichiro,'' became the first brand of sake to be adopted by Berry Brothers & Rudd, London's oldest wine merchant and purveyor to the British royal family. This ``Dewazakura Ichiro'' is made with Yamada Nishiki from Hyogo Prefecture, which is said to be the king of sake rice, but Dewazakura's sake production was ahead of what the market wanted. The timing that matched was probably when he won the IWC award. In 2016, we won the championship for the second time with ``Junmai Sake Dewa no Sato,'' brewed using local rice suitable for sake brewing, Dewa no Sato. This brewery also shows foresight in its sake brewing.

Yamagata Prefecture, home to Dewazakura, which attracts the attention of sake lovers around the world, has also taken action. Yamagata Prefecture ranks 12th in Japan in terms of production volume, but it is also the prefecture with the highest rate of top awards in the IWC SAKE category. In 2016, the prefecture obtained the Geographical Indication System GI, which is certified by the National Tax Agency to protect sake produced in Yamagata. In the world of wine, this is a system that protects regional brands like Bordeaux and Champagne. Yamagata Prefecture is the only prefecture in terms of geographical indication for sake. Only Yamagata sake that has been approved by the review committee as meeting certain standards can display the ``GI YAMAGATA'' mark.

Riding on this momentum, in 2018, with the support of Yamagata Prefecture Governor Mieko Yoshimura, we succeeded in attracting the IWC Sake Division Review Committee to Yamagata Prefecture. In May 2018, judges from 5 countries around the world gathered in Yamagata for the IWC SAKE category. It is still fresh in my memory that Nakano was active at this time as well, as the chairman of the Yamagata Prefecture Sake Brewers Association. And this summer, the Tokyo Olympics are finally upon us. Nakano is currently working hard to promote sake and make sake tourism take root in Yamagata. As a fellow sake samurai, I would like to cheer on Nakano's vision of the future of Yamagata and sake, which is firmly grounded in culture and the SDGs.

(Talk by Yoshie Hiraide)

Yoshie Hiraide Select “Dewazakura” 2 Recommended Bottles

Dewazakura Ichiro
Fruity and smooth drinking taste. ``Even those who are not familiar with sake will be impressed by how delicious it is!It has a gorgeous atmosphere and is perfect for celebrations and gifts.''
Type: Junmai Daiginjo sake
Raw material rice: Yamada Nishiki
Rice polishing rate: 45%
Sake level: +4
720ml 3,000 yen (excluding tax)

Dewazakura Dewa no Sato
Sake brewed in Yamagata Prefecture's original rice suitable for sake brewing, Dewa no Sato. ``The yeast is also from Yamagata, so it's truly an all-Yamagata sake.It's a pure rice sake that you can enjoy with a clean, clear flavor that rivals even Daiginjo sake.''
Type: Pure rice sake
Raw material rice: Dewa no Sato
Rice polishing rate: 60%
Sake level: +1
720ml 1,300 yen (excluding tax)

◆Dewazakura Dewazakura Sake Brewery Co., Ltd.
1-4-6 Hichichimachi, Tendo City, Yamagata Prefecture
023-653-5121

Toshie Hiraide

Born in 1962. Representative director of Corpo Kou Co., Ltd., which aims to internationalize sake and attract inbound tourists to regional areas. He is the sake samurai coordinator. IWC Ambassador. Shoryudo Ambassador (Inbound Ambassador for XNUMX prefectures in Chubu and Hokuriku)

Premium X With pride in sake brewing. Sake and brewery selection recognized by the world

``Sake Samurai'' was started in 2006 by the Japan Sake Brewery Youth Council, a national organization of young brewers, in order to restore the pride of sake and spread the culture of sake not only within Japan but also to the world. Sake Samurai Coordinator Yoshie Hiraide, who is working to realize the dream of turning Sake into a tourism-based nation, will introduce unique sake breweries that Japanese sake lovers should visit at least once, and the sake they want to taste there.

(Titles omitted)